Loyola University Maryland IT 102 Study Guide

I. Study Topics

A. Vocabulary Chapter 8: Italian Holidays

  • Overview of various Italian holidays, including how and when they are celebrated.

  • Note important terms, foods, cities, and objects associated with each holiday.

B. Specific Holidays:

  1. Gli anniversari delle nozze (d’argento, d’oro)

    • Meaning: Wedding anniversaries (silver and gold).

    • Celebration involves specific customs and gifts related to the anniversary type.

  2. Il Palio di Siena

    • A historical horse race held twice a year in Siena.

    • Accompanied by parades, historical costumes, and local pride.

  3. Il Natale

    • Christmas celebrated on December 25.

    • Traditions include decorating a Christmas tree (l'albero di Natale) and attending mass.

    • Foods: panettone, pandoro.

  4. La vigilia di Natale

    • Christmas Eve on December 24.

    • Significant family dinner known as il cenone.

  5. La Befana

    • Celebrated on January 5, marking the Epiphany.

    • A folklore character who brings gifts to children.

    • Associated foods: sweets and traditional offerings.

  6. San Silvestro

    • New Year’s Eve celebrated on December 31.

    • Customs include fireworks (i fuochi d’artificio) and festive meals.

  7. La Pasqua / La Pasquetta

    • Easter celebrated on a Sunday, usually focused on family gatherings.

    • Following Easter, Pasquetta is a day for picnics and outdoor activities.

    • Customs include special foods like l’uovo di Pasqua and colomba.

  8. Festa della Donna

    • International Women’s Day on March 8.

    • Celebrated by giving mimosa flowers.

  9. Ognissanti / La festa dei morti

    • All Saints Day (Ognissanti) on November 1 followed by the Day of the Dead (La festa dei morti) on November 2.

    • Commemorates those passed with specific foods and family gatherings.

  10. Il Carnevale

    • Carnival celebrated before Lent, known for parades, masks, and festive activities (e.g., in Venice).

  • Objects associated with Carnevale include masks (le maschere) and costumes.

II. Grammar

A. Reflexive and Reciprocal Verbs (Present Tense)

  1. I verbi riflessivi

    • Definition: Reflexive verbs indicate that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., lavarsi = to wash oneself).

    • Indicated by the suffix -rsi.

    • Pronouns Required: a reflexive pronoun along with the verb is needed.

    • Conjugation Examples:

      • guardarsi:

      • mi guardo (I look at myself)

      • ti guardi (you look at yourself)

      • si guarda (he/she looks at themselves)

      • ci guardiamo (we look at ourselves)

      • vi guardate (you all look at yourselves)

      • si guardano (they look at themselves)

      • mettersi:

      • mi metto (I put on)

      • ti metti (you put on)

      • … (similar structure for others)

      • vestirsi:

      • mi vesto (I get dressed)

      • ti vesti (you get dressed)

      • …

      • divertirsi:

      • mi diverto (I have fun)

      • ti diverti (you have fun)

      • …

  2. I verbi reciproci

    • Definition: Reciprocal verbs denote actions done mutually between two or more people (e.g., abbracciarsi = to hug each other).

    • Conjugation: Only the plural forms are used (noi, voi, loro).

    • Examples of Conjugation:

      • baciarsi:

      • ci baciamo (we kiss each other)

      • vi baciate (you all kiss each other)

      • si baciano (they kiss each other)

      • abbracciarsi:

      • ci abbracciamo (we hug each other)

      • vi abbracciate (you all hug each other)

      • si abbracciano (they hug each other)

      • conoscersi:

      • ci conosciamo (we meet each other)

      • vi conoscete (you all meet each other)

      • si conoscono (they meet each other)

      • volersi bene:

      • ci vogliamo bene (we love each other)

      • vi volete bene (you all love each other)

      • si vogliono bene (they love each other)

III. The Past Tense

A. Passato Prossimo

  1. Overview

    • A compound past tense used frequently in spoken Italian to express actions completed in the past.

  2. Auxiliary Verbs

    • Essere vs. Avere: Critical to note which auxiliary verb is used based on verb type.

    • Rule of thumb includes: "Casa di essere" assimilates certain verbs that indicate motion or change of state.

    • Example:

      • andare (to go) used with essere:

      • Sono andato/a (I went)

    • Use avere for most transitive verbs like mangiare (to eat):

      • Ho mangiato (I ate)

  3. Irregular Past Participles

    • Important to review and memorize common irregular past participles to aid in past tense formation.

IV. Prepositions: in and a

A. Usage Overview

  1. Preposition Usage:

  • in:

    • Used with states, regions, and countries (e.g., in California, in Toscana).

    • Modes of transport (e.g., in treno).

    • Unspecific places (e.g., in centro).

    • Cities and towns (e.g., a Roma).

    • Used with islands when they are not countries (e.g., alle Hawaii).

    • Time reference usage (e.g., alle 3).

    • Locations (e.g., al parco).

  • a:

    • Used for specific locations such as cities (e.g., a Baltimora).

    • Special Exceptions: in Sicilia, in Sardegna (regions of Italy).

V. Questions for Review

  • Write out any specific questions or topics to seek clarification on during class for better understanding of material.